5. – The Baltimore SunIced Teas and Lemonades with a Kick “The waning days of summer call for languid evenings or naps in the sun; it’s a time for savoring the more sensual aspects of life. But it’s often difficult to escape the heat, chock-a-block traffic or the cubicle doldrums.”

4. – The Boston Globe Catch the Wave “There’s an emotion travelers bring home from vacation as an unintended souvenir. Call it schaden-food: pleasure derived from the misfortune of having eaten something wonderful, then being unable to replicate the experience. Symptoms include sighing, poking halfheartedly at lesser versions of the dish, and saying things like: ‘This doesn’t hold a candle to the sushi at Tsukiji market,’ ‘The French would never call this bouillabaisse,’’ and ‘Now if only [your hometown here] could produce a good fish taco.’ ”

3. – The LA Times30 Days of Ripe Tomatoes “Summer always comes late to Southern California, but that seemed to be particularly true this year, as the cloudy gray days of June gloom stretched well into August for many areas. There was a good side, to be sure, but what we gained by not having to turn on the air conditioner was offset by the sorry state of our tomatoes.”

2. – The NY TimesChew it up, Spit it out, Then brew “The Dogfish Head brewery has tried to recreate the Latin American beer chicha, traditionally made with purple corn that has been chewed by the brewers.”

1. – The Washington PostWholly Mackerel “The family fishing trip, as it turned out, was a bust in more ways than one. Carrie, too, got seasick, and the poor conditions made for poor fishing. All told, the family walked away with only a few pounds of Spanish mackerel — expertly filleted by Wade right on the boat — and one beautiful bluefish that Molly snared. Negotiations immediately commenced over how many of the fish Carrie and I could use for the evening’s dinner. Kay agreed to let us have all the Spanish mackerel, which was generous. The family loves Spanish mackerel, and Kay loves to cook it.”